Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, Glencoe and Pitlochry Tour

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Duration:12 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

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CHILD (Age : 7 to 17)

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PLEASE NOTE WE CANNOT ALLOW ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 7 ON TOUR.

When exploring Scotland on your 1 Day Loch Ness, Glencoe and Scottish Highlands Tour, you will get to experience the very best of Scotland in a jam packed adventure. This tour is perfect for those who might have limited time and want to get the most for their money. With breathtaking scenery and landscapes of unspoilt nature you’ll travel the Scottish highlands, getting away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Experience Scottish culture through the folklore of Scotland’s myths and legends, historical sites and learn about the history of our wonderful country. Make a visit to the iconic and cherished Highland Cows (seasonal availability). Every twist and turn of the winding Scottish road has a new photo opportunity, a new story to be told and a new experience to be had.

Please note, to meet demand and to prevent overcrowding in smaller Scottish towns, this tour may be provided in reverse in our peak season.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Callander
After departing Edinburgh you’ll head north through the central belt of the country. Your guide will entertain by laying the foundations of many a story about Scotland’s past heroes like William Wallace and Robert the Bruce who made this area of Scotland their own. You will spot royal palaces, giant mythical Kelpies and the ancient stronghold of Stirling Castle before we arrive at our first stop of the day in the town of Callander. Known as “The Gateway to the Highlands” Callander is situated on the boundary of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National park, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Here you will be able to explore the town’s abundance of authentic gift shops, delicatessen’s and bakeries. An ideal place to stretch your legs and refresh before you rejoin the bus to enter the highlands properly.
2. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park
As we enter The ‘Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park’ our bus weaves through hills, mountains and Glens. These remote places were once inhabited by Highland Clans, not to mention Scotland’s most famous outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor, whom some consider The Scottish Robin Hood. Look out across the landscape and picture what it was like as you hear the remarkable bloodthirsty stories of betrayal and revenge as told by your guide. If we happen to spot some of our famous ‘Hairy Highland Coos’, we might stop for a selfie.
3. Glencoe
Glencoe was also the scene of one of Scotland’s most shocking massacres. Stop at the Picturesque town of Callander "Gateway to the Highlands" and the Hairy Coos. As you gaze at the haunting hills, you notice the Glen is eerily silent. In the 17th century one of the worst acts of betrayal occurred here. Your guide will recount the details of this betrayal for you. You can almost feel the sorrow in the mountains of the ‘weeping valley’. Above all though, Glencoe is one of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes. A highlight of any tour to the Scottish Highlands!
4. Fort William
The tour then takes you through Fort William and past the spectacular Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the British Isles. The Nevis Range towers over the winding road as you continue your journey to Loch Ness.
5. Fort Augustus
Desperate for a glimpse of ‘Nessie’? Fort Augustus, a charming, postcard-perfect, Highland village on the Southern shores of the Loch. From here you will have the opportunity to take a fantastic 1-hour cruise on the loch with our friends at Cruise Loch Ness. The local crew on board share their experiences of Nessie, as you search for yourself. All with the aid of a state of the art Sonar equipment helping you scan the near 900 foot depths of the loch below. Tickets are Adults £16.50, Children £10.00 and are purchasable on the day with cash. For those who do not wish to take the optional boat cruise, you will have time to explore the village and its beautiful Caledonian Canal lock system, built by the famous engineer Thomas Telford in the 19th century, that descends through the heart of the village into Loch Ness. Walk further along the canal and into the surrounding countryside to enjoy mountainous views and sights of farm animals and possibly red deer.
6. Commando Monument
Along the route, we’ll stop at the Commando Memorial. In 1942, this setting became the training ground for Britain’s Special Forces. Harsh, unforgiving, and breathtakingly beautiful. A statue of our heroes overlooks the Nevis range. Bring a camera – this is undoubtedly one of our favourite photo-stops in all of Scotland. Here, weather permitting, you could also spot Ben Nevis. The tallest mountain in The United Kingdom.
7. Cairngorms National Park
Heading south we travel through the Cairngorm National Park where Red squirrels, roe deer, red deer, soaring buzzards, pine martens, golden eagles and osprey can be found. Our final stop of the day is Pitlochry
8. Pitlochry
Pitlochry is situated in the heart of the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire. The town sits below Beinn Bhracaigh (Ben Vrackie), the speckled mountain and beside the River Tummel, in some of the most magnificent scenery in Scotland. With a backdrop of surrounding hills and beautiful woodlands, it is wonderful walking country.
9. Forth Bridge
As we re-enter Edinburgh from the North, you will be met with views of Scotland’s greatest piece of engineering, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Forth Bridge. This 19th century engineering marvel was at one point the World’s longest cantilever bridge. Today it neighbours the 20th century Forth Road Bridge and the 21st century Queensferry Crossing which opened in 2017. Three spectacular bridges, from three different centuries, span the Firth of Forth connecting our Capital city and the Kingdom of Fife.

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Trek730538
An excellent one day tour with an excellent driver-guide - Alistair (I hope I didn't get the spelling wrong). It was my first time in Scotland and it was recommended I do the Highlands tour, and I'm so glad I did.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-03 10:07:51

Posted By : LynetteCC
We just got back from the all day Highlands tour with David. David was a wonderful guide - fun, funny, energetic and kept us engaged from start to finish. He truly loves the Highlands and wanted to make sure our group learned to appreciate it as well. We rode in a very comfortable and clean tour bus. Had sufficient rest, meal, and photo stops. Highly recommend! (Thank you again, David!!)
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-03 05:36:40

Posted By : Q8385YSnathanr
David was the best tour guide. He was friendly, caring, and entertaining. He ensured that everybody was safe and accounted for throughout the door. He deserves the highest commendation.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-03 05:07:09

Posted By : Charles_F
The Scottish Highlands and The Isle of Skye have both been dreams of mine for many years. I’m feeling very grateful that I was able to begin turning that dream into reality today.

After an early wakeup, I walked past Edinburgh Castle and proceeded to LawnMarket where my HairyCoo journey began. Our driver and guide, David, was absolutely amazing never failing to point out every detail while providing extensive, historical commentary and context.

We had breakfast in Pitlochry from which my mother’s great grandparents immigrated to the US. We traveled onto St. Augustas, cruised (and had whiskey ice cream) on Loch Ness, briefly stopped in the real Fort William, explored Glencoe, had dinner in The Highlands and then returned past the Kelpies and Stirling Castle only after stopping to spend time feeding the animals on a Coo Rescue Farm! What a truly remarkable day!

#LifeisfortheLiving
#Scotland2024
#HairyCoo
#WorldWarrior
#HighlandsHotChocolate
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-03 05:04:18

Posted By : alanerk0
Our guide Pete was a great guy and more importantly, an experienced driver. He could improve by telling us how long before the next stop unprompted. But he was so easy to talk to and had many fun great (and some unbelievable) stories. The Scottish music got tiring in the end but it did work to create the atmosphere of the trip in the beginning.

This tour is very popular, Hairy Coo had 3 buses running that cold summer day, making wait times at stops and load and unload pretty long, specially in the ‘quick’ 10minute stops.

It’s a great way to see the highlights of the highlands all in a day. I would recommend it if you’re short on time and don’t want to drive. But it is very rushed. If you are a woman, 10min of the 30min stop will be spent queueing for toilets.

Callander 30 minutes
Quick stop to feed a hairy coo
Quick stop at loch tulla viewpoint
Quick stop at Glencoe (free toilet stop)
Quick stop at Commando Memorial

There is no lunch break until 2pm at Fort Augustus (50p toilets)
3pm Loch Ness cruise (+£18.50) (all the tour groups take this cruise so the boat is full! The other times the boat looked much emptier)
4pm depart fort augustus
6:15 Pitlochry 30min (50p toilet charge)
8:30 arrive at edinburgh

In the future we will explore driving ourselves, or considering spending more time in the highlands. We should have probably also shop around the other tour groups as well.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-03 04:28:55

Posted By : Michelle_D
David was a wonderful tour guide. Clever and entertaining and full of knowledge. He really made an effort to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves and it showed.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-03 04:20:45

Posted By : CaseyJ_G
This trip was great! Our guide/driver, Brian Smith, made the bus ride so much fun! He shred interesting stories and facts as well as provided good music and singalongs to popular songs. From seeing the sights, cruising on Loch Ness and feeding carrots to highland coos there was never a dull moment. I highly recommend this trip!!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-02 17:27:31

Posted By : Navigator665376
Our family loved the tour! Our guide/driver David did a fantastic job as a storyteller and a guide. He is also a very experienced driver - an important skill in the Highlands. The tour was well planned and we avoided crowds and traffic. This is a 12 hour tour so be ready to spend a substantial amount of time in the bus. If you normally get sick on the bus, take the necessary measures before you go on the trip. It was 13-16C and the wind was pretty strong in the mountains. It also rains a lot even in summer so make sure you take your warm clothes and your water proof jacket with you. Don’t worry about snacks, lunch and dinner stops - the driver will allocate enough time during the tour to keep you full and happy. Great value for money. Highly recommend.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-02 16:34:40

Posted By : 985kelseyl
The hairy coo tour was amazing!!! Brian Smith was a fantastic driver, storyteller, entertainer and made our trip. I would 1000% go back on another tour and have Brian as our guide!!!!
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Posted On : 2024-07-02 14:38:42

Posted By : Melissa_W
John is the BEST tour guide! Funny and great sense of humor. He tells the best stories and also
History of the land etc. also I feel very safe in the bus with John ! I hope if Iever come back I will get him as my tour guide
Melissa
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-07-02 13:44:17